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Editor’s Note: The following was providing by the Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club.
The Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club is selling red poinsettia plants, in 6-inch pots with plants for $15 and 8-inch pots with plants for $30, and the beautiful red blossoms will be available for distribution after November 18. Anyone interested in ordering the plants should contact Jerry Grant at 262-473-2214 or any Kiwanian. Plants can be picked up starting at 9 a.m. on November 18 at Wisconsin Dairy Supply on 440 W, Ann Street in Whitewater.
Whitewater Kiwanis Breakfast Club President Patrick Taylor said, “We are delighted to be able to sell poinsettias this year, with the funds helping children in our community and the world as well as brightening your holidays.”
Whitewater Kiwanis is a group of dedicated volunteers who help both children of the Whitewater community and the world. Over the past five years the club raised funds to make possible the recent installation of the city’s first piece of inclusive playground equipment, a We-Go-Round, in Starin Park. Annual donations are also made to provide shoes and winter clothes for students, as well as support for organizations such as the Whitewater Food Pantry, Bethel House, The Community Space, and the Whitewater Youth Soccer Club.
If you have an interest in helping youth in Whitewater, you can check out Whitewater Kiwanis on Facebook and join our Club by contacting Patrick Taylor at Petaylor.law@gmail.com.
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.
The Whippet Swim Team competed against the Delavan-Darien Comets Tuesday night, October 11, and we celebrated our Seniors at their last home meet with a win!
Here’s our senior highlights of the night:
☀Brooke Bazeley had a spectacular senior night with two new personal best times – in the 50 Freestyle going a time of 27.58 and the 500 Freestyle by breaking that 6-minute mark with a time of 5:57.19!
☀Grace Foucault had an extravagant senior night with two great swims and 1st place finishes in the 100 Butterfly and the 100 Backstroke!
☀Josie Treder had a tremendous senior night with a 2nd place finish in the 200 IM and a best time in the 100 Freestyle with a time of 1:10.58!
☀Karime Velazquez had a marvelous senior night with a 2nd place finish in the 100 Butterfly and a best time in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 33.62!
☀Ashly Xochipa had a stupendous senior night with a best time in the 50 Freestyle with a time of 30.11 and a strong performance in the 100 Backstroke!
Some other sensational swims of the night include:
✔Lucy Davis had best times in the 50 and the 100 Freestyle. She dropped 11 seconds in the 100 Freestyle.
✔Emerson Dunham had a best time in the 100 Breaststroke where she dropped 5 seconds.
✔Atreya Wilson had a best time in the 200 Freestyle with a time of 3:04.16. That is a 25 second drop from her previous 200 Freestyle time!
✔Sanibel Fox-Simes had a best time in the 50 and 100 Freestyle. She dropped 4 seconds in both events.
✔Andrea Alcala had a best time in the 100 Freestyle with a 24 second drop in time!
✔Lucy Troxel competed in the 100 Breaststroke for the first time!
We are so proud of our Whippet athletes, and we still have a lot of our season left! The Whippets are back in the pool on Tuesday (10/18) against Jefferson/Cambridge at 5:30 p.m. for the last dual meet of the season.
Article and Photo Submitted by Sarah Reynolds
Whitewater High School Head Girls’ Swim Coach
sreynolds@wwusd.org
On a cold, rainy, and some would say miserable night, your Whitewater Varsity Boys’ Soccer team lost 1-0 to Jefferson on Tuesday, October 11.
Once again plagued by absences of varsity starters, our team played a tough game of soccer where almost nothing went right. A game that was dominated (possessionally) by the Whippets saw a missed penalty kick, two goal line clearances, three free kicks sailing over the crossbar, and numerous saves from the Jefferson keeper. A decent free kick early in the second half saw Jefferson score the game’s only goal.
Overall, it must be said that although there was a poor performance in all aspects of the game, Chris Cortes did a wonderful job reading balls and marking players in the 25 MPH wind.
Our last game before regionals will be on Thursday (10/13) at Big Foot.
Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
In recognition of the outstanding support that the community of Whitewater provides to the school, each year the WHS Student Council selects two community members to serve as Grandma & Grandpa Whippet. Grandma and Grandpa Whippet exhibit the kind of support for academics, athletics, and arts that Whitewater High School is known for. This year’s Grandma and Grandpa Whippet are Eileen Jaskolski (also known as Grandma J) and Mike Stutzman.
Grandma J spent so much time in Whitewater that she decided to move here three years ago. In that short amount of time, she has already made such an impact on the Whitewater community! Grandma J worked as a registered nurse and went on to become the Vice President of mission services for Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee. Grandma J has volunteered many hours at Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Hospital, at her church in Milwaukee, and, now, at St. Patrick’s in Whitewater. She also volunteers her time for all of the Play for Trey events. Grandma J is also known for her yummy, sweet treats that she makes for the students in Whitewater. And, she is Triple A proud. You can find her at athletic, arts, and academic events. Grandma J is appreciated throughout the Whitewater Community. She exemplifies the #TheWhippetWay.
Mike Stutzman could be considered a Lifelong Whippet. He was a Whitewater Unified School District employee for over 35 years, spending all of his years at Whitewater High School and Whitewater Middle School as a Computer Science teacher and then moving on to teach 7th grade science. He was the driving force that started the 8th grade trip to Disney World and was a big part of the 7th grade Washington DC trips. Mike has over 30 years of coaching experience in volleyball and was also the Athletic Director at the middle school. Mike’s colleagues said he is a team player, has a huge heart, and gives out great advice. He is also a huge supporter of the Academics, Arts, and Athletics of the Whitewater Community. He, too, is Triple A Proud and is 1Family. Congratulations Grandma J and Mike!
Article and Photo Submitted by Amy Houwers
Whitewater High School Student Council Advisor
ahouwers@wwusd.org
Emilia Houwers advanced to the WIAA State Tournament next week with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Rachel Winters of Lodi High School in the opening match of the Edgewood Sectional on Thursday, October 6.
Information Submitted by Greg Stewart
The Whitewater volleyball program traveled to East Troy for their last conference game on Thursday, October 6. The JV1 and JV2 teams continued their solid efforts as they fought hard against the Trojans. The teams will finish their seasons this Thursday against Johnson Creek at our Dig Pink home finish.
The Whippet Varsity squad (8-1 conference, and 19-6 overall) continued their win streak against East Troy, beating them in four sets, 25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-17. And with a little help from Brodhead beating McFarland tonight, we are tied for 1st overall in the conference!
This team is so well deserving of the honor. They have worked so hard, stayed consistent and have a true desire to get better every single day. To finish on the top of the RVC is an accomplishment, and a goal we had, but we are not done yet. We now set our sights on Johnson Creek to end regular season play on Thursday for Dig Pink, and then we will be laser-focused on playoff time!
“I think we are starting to really believe. We can battle with great teams, and we are finding success. Success comes in the grind. When we face adversity, when we have setbacks, we keep grinding and believing; that is success! That is exactly what I love about this team this year. They believe in each other and even in the face of adversity, they still believe. We hope to use this mentality and momentum to take us deep in the playoff battle.”
Statistical leaders on the night included a big blocking night from Junior Aidyn Amundson with 3 blocks, Caleigh Yang with 23 digs and 3 aces, Calli Grosinske with 38 assists and 3 aces, Cali Kopecky with 13 digs, and Kindyl Kilar with 26 kills and 10 digs.
Statistical leaders for East Troy included Jillian Pergande with 16 kills, Julia Aleckson with 32 assists, Olivia Grayse with 2 aces, and Amaya Pluess with 26 digs.
Next up, the Whippets are at home on Thursday (10/13) to host Johnson Creek for our annual Dig Pink event. We will honor our Manager Cristal Verduzco’s late mother who lost her battle to breast cancer this past September. We also hope to honor all those who have fought, who have won, and who are currently fighting cancer. Let’s pack the gym to dig for a cure!
Article Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
A cold night brought another rough loss for the Whippet soccer team on Thursday night, October 6. A Whitewater squad that was missing five starters due to many different factors faced a well-disciplined Delavan-Darien squad.
The Comets were able to move the ball with ease and dominated much of the first half. In resilient fashion, the Whippets put on a much better second half display. With tireless defending from Emerson Ellenwood and Emmanuel Mbifi and great midfield pressure from Ethan Dougan and Chris Cortez, Whitewater only allowed two second half goals.
The Whippets can now look forward to the “RVC Tournament” next week against Big Foot.
Article Submitted by Sam Burns
Whitewater High School Assistant Varsity Soccer Coach
dburns@wwusd.org
The Whitewater Varsity Volleyball Squad (7-1 conference, and 18-6 overall) hosted Clinton for Play for Trey Night on Tuesday, October 4, and swept them 25-9, 25-22, 25-17.
The Whippet Varsity squad continued their win streak and swept Clinton in three straight sets. However, this was an event that had the athletes playing for something bigger than themselves. With images on the big screen of Varsity players CC Alexander, Cali Kopecky, and Kindyl Kilar with their young friend and brother Treyton, Kindyl spoke about what this event means, while surrounded by her entire Volleyball Program.
“At approximately 8:00 p.m., our world was shattered, and my brother’s life was ended, at the hands of a drunk driver. Not a day goes by that we don’t miss him so much. We are all charged with taking an active role in making better decisions that impact our days in a positive way. There will never be a time when doing the right thing and making the right choice will ever be the wrong one.
Today is no different, the Whitewater HS volleyball team has been determined since his death in 2010, to play for something bigger than ourselves- to play for my brother Trey- in an effort to continue to spread awareness of destructive decisions and the call to be better. Treyton Kilar continues to be a vivid reminder of the importance of good decision making in all aspects of our lives.
As we Play for Trey tonight, may we all remember a young boy full of life, taken far too soon by a destructive decision in an instant. And, we rededicate ourselves to making good decisions every day, to be the example for all, about what positive decisions can do.”
The Whippets went on to sweep Clinton for their 18th win on the season. Coach Kilar commented, “This team is just simply something special. You walk in our gym and you can sense what a true team they are. They are having fun, they are working hard and disciplined, and they are simply committed to getting better every day. They are all selfless leaders. This team is just simply special.”
And if the moment couldn’t have gotten any better, on this Play for Trey night and her brother’s birthday, Kindyl Kilar’s first swing of the night landed her 1000th career kill. Kindyl leads the Whippet record book in the top 5 in kills, aces, and digs. I think her brother may have been smiling down on her.
Statistical leaders on the night included Calli Grosinske with a double-double with 26 assists and 10 digs, Kilar with 17 kills, Cali Kopecky with 6 aces, and Jenna Pope with 2 blocks. For Clinton, Wellnitz led with 2 aces, Allie Bell with 8 digs, Jenna Gunnink with 5 assists, Jayden Nortier with 4 kills, and Lindsey Koch with 4 blocks.
Next up, the Whippets travel to East Troy on Thursday (10/6) and then host Johnson Creek on 10/13 for their annual Dig Pink event.
Article and Photos Submitted by Mary Kilar
Whitewater High School Head Volleyball Coach
mkilar@wwusd.org
Action Photo Courtesy of Bob Mischka
Obituaries
SHIRLEY A. KNUTESON, age 85, of Whitewater, died Thursday, June 27, 2024 at Glenwood at Mulberry Campus in Whitewater. She was born to Hugo and Helen (Wilson) Ferge of Elkhorn, WI. She attended school in Walworth High School, graduating in 1956. Shirley worked at Sterlingworth in Elkhorn and then Fairhaven Nursing Home prior to retirement. As a young woman, she loved roller skating, had a love for animals, especially her dogs and horses on the farm. She was a loyal Brewer and Packer fan. Her diverse family was her pride and joy. Shirley is survived by her six children Jerry … Read more
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A celebration of life for Dave Triebold will be held July 27 at Triebold Farms, with festivities beginning around 11:30 am. A rememberance service will take place at 12:30 pm. A pig roast will follow, and the pool will be open. The family encourages you to stay through the evening for a bonfire as well. Contact Kris (262)949-5474 or Kath (414)412-4385 with questions.
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James Paul Fisher, 86, known by friends as JP or Jay, passed away on Sunday, June 9, 2024, at UW Hospital, Madison, with his immediate family by his side. His body finally surrendered to a heart attack after battling heart and kidney ailments for many years. Born in Fond du lac, Wisconsin, on October 25, 1937, to Lorraine and James Fisher, JP was a resident of Elkhorn and then Whitewater, Wisconsin. At age 2 JP was diagnosed with polio. Through daily therapy administered by his mother and grandmother, he overcame this life threatening virus, and with a prognosis of limited … Read more
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Shirley M. Messier, 86, of Whitewater, Wisconsin, passed away on July 8, 2024. Shirley was born to Erwin and Leona Reese on May 20, 1938, in Farmington, Wisconsin. Shirley (“Shirttail”) attended the local country school, then set out on her own, taking a job doing factory work. On August 24, 1957, she married Blaine Messier in Jefferson, Wisconsin. They had three daughters, Michele (Shelly), Terry, and Karen. Shirley spent many years being a working wife and mother, finally retiring from Polymer Technologies / MacLean Fogg in Whitewater. Shirley loved country music and spent her retirement years going to George Jones … Read more
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Patricia Ann ParrBorn 7/20/42Departed to Heaven 5/10/23 About herself, Patricia often said “I love life, I love God, He always has taken care of me, and He always will”. Patricia died peacefully at Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc, after a long and courageously fought season of declining health. Patricia was born in Beaver Dam, to a lovely family, which included her older brother Dennis and not too long after, her lifetime best friend and little sister Mary. They grew up on an idyllic “Gentlemen’s Farm” outside of Jefferson, with horses and many animals. Her parents, Floyd and Kathryn owned the … Read more
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Marjorie Alice “GG” Roloff, 89, passed away Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Golden Years in Lake Geneva, WI. She was born July 31, 1934, to Fred and Martha (Arndt) Papcke, in Whitewater, WI, the fifth of eleven children. GG attended South Heart Prairie School, across the road from the family’s home farm. She is a Whitewater High School graduate. On April 19, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart, Eric. She worked a variety of jobs over the years. Her most memorable of those being the local canning factory and as a crossing guard. After retiring, she and Eric would … Read more
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Marilyn Mae Fuerstenberg, 81 of Whitewater, WI., passed away on June 27, 2024, at Agrace Hospice in Janesville, WI. Marilyn was born May 27, 1943, in Geneva Township, to Raymond and Doris Kilpin. Marilyn was preceded in death by her parents, her two younger brothers, Mike and Donny Kilpin. Marilyn married William (Bill) Fuerstenberg on September 21, 1963. Bill and Marilyn lived in Whitewater. Together they raised three children, taking the family on yearly vacations and camping trips throughout the years. Marilyn worked for Walworth County Health and Social Services as a Child Protection Social Worker. She dedicated 25 years … Read more
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Jerome Francis Burke, age 76, of Whitewater, WI, passed away unexpectedly following a brief illness on June 27, 2024. Jerry was born in Evanston, IL on May 13, 1948 to Stephen and Catherine Burke. He grew up in Glenview, IL, where he graduated from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Grade School and then Loyola Academy (Wilmette). Those early days spawned treasured, lifelong friendships. He went on to graduate from St. Joseph’s College (IN) with a BA in Economics, and it was there thathe met his beloved wife, Eileen. They married shortly after graduation and were blessed to share their lives … Read more
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Angelica E. Vicente Santa Cruz passed away Sunday, June 30th in home beside family and friends in Milford, Delaware from a long battle with cancer. Angelica E. Vicente Santa Cruz was born on February 24, 1965. She was the daughter of Doña Carmen Santa Cruz Valdez and Don Luis Vicente León, who allowed her to share a life of family union with her four brothers: Braulio, Carmen Rosa, Edgar and Juan. She was born in Lima-Peru and grew up in the Ventanilla district of the constitutional province of Callao of Peru. She completed her primary studies at the La Merced … Read more
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Lowell V. Youngs, 87, of Whitewater passed away on Monday, June 24, 2024 in Madison. Lowell was born on September 4, 1936 in Wyoming to Isaac and Violet (Doble) Youngs. He grew up in the very small town of Veteran, Wyoming, where he was one of nine students in his graduating class. After graduating, Lowell attended the University of Colorado, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 1958. Lowell was drafted into the US Army in 1960 and selected to be in the Army Band, where he gladly carried a clarinet instead of a gun. He was … Read more
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